Distributing device



April 16, 1940. Q OTT 2,197,156

DISTRIBUTING DEVICE Filed Sept 11, 1937 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 16, 1940. F. C. A. OTT 2,197,156

DISTRIBUTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 11, 193'! s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 16, 1940.

F. C. A..O'TT

DISTRIBUTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 11, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet :5

i'swu, firm ow ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 16, 1940 UNITED S ATES P ENT o FFIcE 2,197,156 DISTRIBUTING DEVICE FrederickjC. Ott, Glendale, N. Y., assignor to Mundet Cork Corporation, a. corporation of New York Application September 11, 1937, Serial No. 163,375 t. v 'v'oiai s, (01. 198-31) This invention relates to a functionally and structurally improved distributing device or machine and, in its more, specific aspects, aims to provide a mechanism of this character of partic- '5 ular value when employed in connection with tops of, for example, the crown type.

An apparatus embodying the teachings of the present invention is usually employed in conjunction with assemblying or. top finishing mal chines and provides for aninspection of the tops before the latter are packaged or otherwise disposed of. It is obvious that in' forming, assemblying and finishing tops and similar articlesand especially Where automaticmachines and methods are relied upon-that a'certain number of 7 these articles will not be perfect. Therefore, it is of primary importance that the tops be distributed so as to be susceptible to inspection by an operator.

" Machines to achieve this result have heretofore been suggested. They have, however, offered disadvantages among which were; firstflthey have not operated with suflicient. speed; second, certain of the topsor equivalent articles -have fallen or been otherwiseimproperly distributed; third, relatively complicated mechanisms have b'eeninvolved which have required frequent replacementand adjustment. 7

Thus, ,it is an object of the invention to furnish 0 a mechanism which will. operate at high speed and maximum efficiency, such mechanism almost invariably distributing the tops-or equivalent articles-ma proper'and 'eflicientmanner'.

1 A further object is that of providing a distributing device which will operate automatically and which will require but a minimum of adjustment or replacementgin that it will involve relatively few parts, each individually simple and rugged in construction; such parts .operatingover long periods of time with freedom from all difficulties.

With these and other objects'in mind, reference is had to the attached sheets of drawings illustrating practical embodiments of the invention, and in which: p I 4 f Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, plan view of a distributing machine or device; v j

Fig. 2 isa fragmentary side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view taken along the lines 3- 3 and in the direction of the arrows as'indicated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse, sectional view taken along the lines 44 and in the direction of the arrows as indicated in Fig. 3;

55 I Fig. 5 is avi'ew similar to Fig-.1 but showing a multiplicity of machine units delivering to the distributing mechanism; and

Fig. 6 is; a fragmentary perspective view of a slightly modified form of distributing structure.

In these views, the invention has been illustrated' in its preferred association. As afore brought out, the devicemight readily be employed in other associations and its structure modified as desired. Thus the present drawings and specifications are to be regarded as illustrative 1'0 rather than in a limiting sense, except where otherwise indicated in the claims.

With the foregoing in mind, the numeral 5 indicates the platform of an assembly'or finishing machine, mounting a turn-table 6, or other mech- 5 anism, from which tops 1, or their equivalents, are delivered by means of a diverting member 8. Such delivery, according to the present invention, preferably occurs into a chute 9 through which the articles are in. turn delivered to the 20 distributing device.

The latter may include a frame It] mounting a pair of rollers ll, (only one of which has been shown); One, or both of these rollers may be drivenin any desired'fashion, as for example by 25 a power shaft l2 mounting a worm I3 which meshes with the teeth .ofa worm wheel l4. Passing around the rollers H is a conveyor l5 of any mount a pulley ll within which a belt 18 rides.

This belt extends to a point adjacentthe delivery endofchute 9 and brackets l9 may form a part of frame It and also extend adjacent this station. These brackets mount a series of (pref- 35 erably'four) distributing blades 20' which may form a part of a roller 2|, having bearings in the brackets.

Also extending adjacent the delivery end 'of chute 9 is a conveyor 22 which passes around a 4 roller 23 afiixed to shaft I2, and a complementary roller 24 disposed adjacent the opposite edge of conveyor l5. Thus, conveyor 22 underlies the path of'travel of blades 20 and is preferably relatively narrow. v 45 Its upper course may be supported by a strip 25, the effective width of which is substantially equal to that of conveyor 22. The forward edge of this strip, at points beyond conveyor 22, may be in clined downwardly as indicated at 26 to provide a delivery apron. The rear. edge of the same, as indicated at 21,-. may be extended upwardly beyond the corresponding edge of conveyor 22 and serve as a guard to prevent the accidental pascomb structures. Moreover the teeth of the blades are disposed with reference to flange 2! so that they may pass between each other. Consequently, the strips or blades may revolve without contacting flange 21, but at the same time stripping element 1 from conveyor 22 over apron 26 and onto conveyor 15.

In operation it will be understood that with the turn-table 6, or its equivalent, functioning to deliver articles, such as seals '3, into chute 9, shaft l2 will be rotated to operate conveyors l5 and 22 as well as blades 20. The speed of 0011-. veyor 22will berelatively high as compared with that of conveyor l5. Accordingly, the element 1 will be'delivered'through chute 9 and, in the form of a row, onto conveyor 22, whereupon this entire row (numbering, for example, seven elements) will be swept by one of the blades 25 onto conveyor 55. On this conveyor they may be inspected by an operator and will be emptied,

for example, into a bin or other suitable receptacle. The operator will, of course, remove from conveyor l5 any articles which do not pass inspection, it being observed that these articles will always be delivered upon this conveyor in such a manner that inspection is practicable.

Any articles which tend to be delivered by chute 9 onto conveyor 22 while one of the blades 20 is obstructing such conveyor, will either remain immovable-while conveyor 22 continues to slide below the sameo-r will accumulate in chute 9 until the blade has cleared conveyor 22. At that time, and before the next succeeding blade sweeps over the conveyor, an entire row of articles will be distributed upon such conveyor so that the complete row may be in turn distributed onto conveyor 15. v I

It is apparent that with this mechanism no intermittent or other relatively complicated units are presented, there being involved merely the drive shaft I2 and drive mechanisms l3, M, H, H and the pulley 36, associated with theblade mounting shaft.

The same advantages are apparent in the structure shown in Fig. 5 in which a single conveyor .29, corresponding to conveyor i5, is employed to receive the discharge or delivery from a plurality of assembly or finishing machines 3b. In this form of construction, it will be seen that conveyors 3i corresponding to the conveyor 22, may in each instance extend across the full width of conveyor 29 and receive from mechanisms 39 a greater or lesser number of articles to be distributed. However, in the example under consideration, the distributing blade units 32, corresponding to the blades 28,: extend merely across a portion of the conveyor 29.

It accordingly follows that units delivered from one machine will, for example, be distributed throughout one half the Width of con veyor 29, while the remaining half of this 0011- v veyor will receive units distributed by the second machine. A tangentially extending baflie 33 may, of course, be furnished to preclude the likelihood of interference between any isolated element which is. improperly distributed upon the face of conveyor 29. Finally, in Fig. 6 the serrated blades 34, corresponding to blades 20, may have those ends of their bodies which are adjacent the delivery chute, bent to extend rearwardly as indicated at 35.' In this manner a cam structure is furnished such that if elements continue to be de-- livered through the chutes toward conveyor 22 and if the. latter is obstructed by a blade end,

such elements will be cammed to prevent any possibility of their accidental displacement.

Thus, among others, the several objects of this invention as specifically aforenoted are achieved.

Obviously, numerous changes in construction and rearrangements of the parts mightbe resorted to without departing from the spirit of the in- Vention as defined by the claims. a

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A distributing device including a pair of conveyor belts, rollers movably mounting said conveyor belts tolie one above the other and shift in directions substantially transverse with respect to each other, a worm wheelsecured to one of said rollers, a" pulley secured to said worm wheel, a drive shaft, a worm secured to said drive shaft and engaging said wheel, the roller of the upper most conveyor belt being secured to said drive shaft, a series of blades movable over the upper face of the upper most conveyor belt, a

pulley for moving said blades, and a belt connecting said pulley with said first named pulley.-

2. A distributing device including a pair of conveyor belts, rollers movably mounting, said convyor belts to lie one'abovethe other andshift in directions substantially transverse with respect to each other a worm wheelv secured to one of said rollers, a pulley secured to said worm wheel,

a drive shaft, a worm secured tosaid drive shaft and engaging said wheel, the roller offthe upper most conveyor belt being secured to said drive shaft, 9, series of blades movable over the bination, a conveyor to. receive articles, a guide, disposed adjacent vone edge of said conveyor and; having its upper edge serrated, an annular series of blades each having their outer edges also serrated, means for moving .saidfblades over said 55 conveyor with the projecting portions. of said 1 blades moving through the notches presented in I the upper edge of said guide, andsaid blades be: ing bent to extend angularly and rearwardly of their path of movement and adjacent the end of the conveyor which receives articles to be distributed. g

4. A distributing device including in'combina:

tion a conveyor to receive articles, means"for 65, conveyors to conduct articles to said first named conveyor, said latter conveyors being axially dis posed and substantially transverse with respect j to said first named conveyor and with theirju'p supporting and driving said conveyor, a'pair" of per courses overlying the upper course Off said first named conveyor and at pointslongitudinally spaced along the latter, transfer means overlying said latter conveyors and cooperating with the same throughout only a limited zone of their! upper courses, and. means for driving said latterconveyors and transfer devices whereby to cause a distribution of articles from said latter conveyorsto said" first named conveyor andtin predetermined zones of the latter.

.5, A distributing device including incombination a conveyor to receive articles, means for supporting and driving said conveyor, a pair of conveyors to conduct articles to said .firstnamed ccniveyor, said latter conveyors being axially distion a conveyor, means for mounting and driving posed and substantially transverse with respect to said first named conveyor and with their upper courses overlying the upper course of said first .named conveyor and at points longitudinally spaced along the latter, transfer means overlyingsaid latterconveyors and cooperating with the same throughout onlya limited zone of their upper courses, means for driving said latter .con-

veyors and transfer devices whereby to cause a distribution of articles from said latter conveyors to said first, named conveyor and in predeter- {mined zones of the latter and means extending longitudinally of said first named conveyor and 3 between sai d las't namedrconveyors to re-arrange' uponisaid first named conveyor any articles dis tributed'bythe first of said latter conveyors and which articlestend to occupy positionsbeyonda predetermined area of said first named conveyor. =1 "BJAdistributing device including in combinasaid body is rotated; Y 7. A distributing device including in combinasaid conveyor, a second conveyor extending angularly abovesaid first named conveyor, means for driving said latter conveyor, a distributing device overlying said latter conveyor to transfer articles from. said last named to said first named conveyor, said distributingv device including a rotatable body, blades extending from said body and to sweep over said latter conveyor, and blade end portions extending beyond one end of said body and furnishing a cam mechanism to shift articles upon=said last named conveyor and as tion a conveyor, means for mounting and driving said conveyor, a second conveyo'r extending an-.

gularly above said first named conveyor, means for driving said latter conveyor, a distributing device overlying said latter conveyor to transfer articles from'said last named to said first-named I said body as the latter is rotated FREDERICK c. A. err. 

